“What is it?” Drago asked in concern.

Carly sat trembling in their bed, tears streaming down her cheeks. She lifted a shaking hand to wipe them away when her mate sat up beside her. A choked sob escaped her and she turned into his warm arms and wrapped them around her.

“I had the worst dream ever,” Carly choked out between ragged sobs.

“What was it about?” he asked.

Leaning back, Carly relaxed against Drago’s warm body and rested her head against his chest. Like most dreams, she couldn’t remember the details except the pain and sorrow—as if she had lost someone that she loved with all her heart.

“I need to check on the kids,” Carly suddenly said.

She pulled away from Drago and threw the covers back. Sliding out of the massive bed, she reached for her robe and pulled it on. Drago quickly followed her, waving his hand so that a pair of loose-fitting trousers covered him.

“Was the dream about them? I will not let anything happen to them or you, Carly. Do you want me to kill someone? Maybe Ashure? No one would miss him very much. Did he cause you to have a bad dream?” Drago growled.

Carly released an exasperated sigh and giggled. “No, I don’t want you to kill anyone—including Ashure. I don’t know why everyone wants to do Ashure bodily harm. The guy wasn’t that bad. The dream wasn’t about the kids or me. It was about Jenny,” she said, walking across the hallway to peer into their two sons’ bedroom.

“Ah…,” Drago said as he paused in the doorway behind her with a frown of confusion on his face. “I don’t understand. If the dream was about Jenny, then why are you checking on the kids?”

Carly released a sigh. The boys must have had a pillow fight after she and Drago had gone to bed because their beds were destroyed again. Marco was sprawled out in his dragon form, his tail hanging off the side of the bed, and Tucker was in his human form with his butt up in the air and a mountain of pillows surrounding him.

Neither boy had a bedspread on their bed. Those were currently the cover to their pirate fort. Carly frowned when she heard a soft snore coming from under the roof of the fort. Silently walking across the bedroom, she pulled the flap open and peered inside. Drago was right behind her, gazing over her shoulder.

Inside the fort was the newest addition to the family, Little Jenny. She was curled up on a pink blanket holding her stuffed dragon and sucking her thumb. Carly’s expression softened at the sight. Her gaze moved to the large paper bird sleeping on the pillow next to her.

The enchanted bird raised its head and released a soft chirp. Carly placed a finger to her lips, and Big Knight nodded. From the new color on Big Knight’s wings, it looked like Little Jenny had found the crayons that Carly had picked up and put away earlier.

“They are fine. I have the birds watching over them. If anyone or anything tries to harm them, the birds will let us know,” Drago murmured near her ear.

“I know,” Carly replied, pulling back and closing the entrance to the fort.

Drago helped her to her feet and they quietly returned to their bedroom. Carly walked across the room to where the open balcony doors. A light breeze blew in and she gazed out toward the ocean. She leaned against Drago when he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin on the top of her head.

“I wish I could remember the dream,” Carly murmured.

“What do you remember?” Drago asked, bending and pressing a kiss to her temple.

Carly was silent for a moment before she released a long, sad sigh. She shook her head and placed her hands over Drago’s. She couldn’t remember anything but the residual feeling that was left behind—grief.

“I don’t know. It felt like she was calling for help—then, I just felt such a tidal wave of sorrow—as if she was gone… for good,” Carly replied, her voice thickening on the last two words.

“I am sure your friend is well. You have dreamed of her before,” Drago said, turning her in his arms and lifting a hand to her chin.

“Yes, but never like this,” Carly insisted.

“I wish there was a way to find your friend. If you like, I can approach the King and Queen of the Isle of Magic. They may know of a spell that could open the passage between our two worlds,” Drago reluctantly offered.

Carly quickly shook her head. “No!” she said sharply before continuing in a softer voice. She ran her fingers along his chest, tangling them in his coarse hair. “No. We’ve talked about that before. Maybe before we had the kids, but not now. There is no way I will take a chance of returning to my world. What if I did and couldn’t come back? I would be devastated to lose you and them.”

Drago pulled Carly close against his body and held her like he would never let her go. Carly loved it when he held her like this. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him back.

“Let’s return to bed. The fear of losing you has made me horny,” Drago stated.

Carly turned her face into his chest and giggled. That was another thing she loved about her mate, he knew how to say the most romantic things. Pulling back, she smiled up at him.

“I love you, Drago,” she murmured.

“Show me how much,” he replied.

Carly’s smile turned wicked, and she slid her hand down to cup him. “Oh, boy. You are so going to know how much by the time I get done with you,” she murmured.

She released him, sliding her hand along his full cock before she stepped away and untied her robe. She glanced over her shoulder and let it drop to the floor, keeping the belt in her hand. She shot him a heated look before her gown landed next to her robe.

“Goddess, woman. How did I get so lucky?” Drago muttered, waving his hand so that his trousers disappeared.

* * *

In the darkness along the underwater cliff, Juno swam faster than he ever had before. His small body skimmed along the edge, weaving in and out of the rocks while he kept a keen eye out for any predators. His father, Kapian, and Coralus told him that a warrior always knew his surroundings and could feel the changes in the water.

Kicking upward, he slowed when he neared the top of the cliff. In the distance, he could see his father fighting the colossal squid. For a moment, he held onto the rock ledge and watched in awe.

His father swung the trident around and pierced a smaller squid with it. The squid lit up in a flash of brilliant green light. Juno could see its body glow and its veins highlighted before it writhed and crumbled to the ocean floor. The glow reminded Juno of the stone he was carrying.

Pulling himself upward, he pushed off the sand-covered rock bottom with his feet and stayed low, swimming as close to the bottom as he could, then headed in the direction of his father. Juno was halfway to where his father was fighting another squid when out of the corner of his eye he saw a black shadow rise to his right. Turning, he stared open-mouthed as the form took shape and Magna appeared.

“Go away! I don’t like you,” Juno exclaimed, swimming backwards several feet.

“I will call them away, but I can only do it for a few seconds, Juno. Tell Orion….” Magna winced and drew in a deep breath before she continued. “Tell your father... I’m sorry,” she choked out as if in intense pain. “Go! I can only control them for a moment. Go, Juno, go!”

Juno twisted and kicked forward, trying to put as much distance as he could between himself and Magna. The squid between him and his father moved, giving him a narrow gap to pass through. He wanted to look over his shoulder to see if Magna was still there, but was afraid to. Passing through the floating tentacles of the colossal squid, Juno reached down into his pocket and wrapped his hand around the Eye of the Serpent. He was almost through when he felt a sharp pain in his lower leg, and he was jerked to a stop.

“Father! Help me!” Juno cried in terror and pain.

* * *

Rage warred with agonizing grief. The first emotion Orion could handle, the second he couldn’t. In an effort to push it deeper inside himself, he let the rage out, pouring all of his power into the battle.

He struck with a vengeance. Even without the trident, he would have been a deadly adversary. Although the trident didn’t work without both of the Eyes of the Sea Serpent, he could still use it to channel his own magic.

Turning around, he pierced a squid that had come up behind him. The painful memory of Jenny and Juno helplessly being pulled down into the depths by one of the creatures flashed through his mind. His howl of rage chorused with the screech of the squid as it began to glow. Yanking the trident out of the dying creature, he turned when he heard a faint cry.

“Juno!” Orion whispered, his gaze frantically scanning the water for his son. “Juno!” he roared when he finally caught sight of him. “Kapian! Architeuthis has Juno!”

Orion pressed his heels into the side of Sea Fire and leaned forward. His heart raced as he weaved his way between the tentacles of two smaller squid trying to stop him. His eyes flashed with fire when he saw Magna on the other side of Architeuthis, her arms raised.

Lifting the trident in his hand, he focused his magic on her. The heat of his rage narrowed to a fine point on the center of Magna’s chest where her black heart was beating. Orion whispered the words of a deadly spell, words he never would have spoken if not for the pain, grief, and rage pulsing through him. Sparks of red shot from the three tips of the trident, forming one powerful bolt.

Magna saw the bolt coming for her and continued to stand with her arms spread wide. Her black lips parted and her ghostly face held an accepting expression. A furious bellow escaped him when two of the squid darted in front of her at the last moment.

The red bolt of power hit and passed through the first squid before slamming into the second one. They both glowed a bright red before exploding with such force that the shockwave hit Architeuthis before rolling over Orion and his men. The shockwave stunned the colossal squid, and it released its hold on Juno.

Orion watched with horror as his son was tossed in the turbulent water before he silently sank down to the top of the dome covering the city below. Fighting to control Sea Fire, Orion kicked the sea dragon and guided him to where Juno lay unmoving. Kapian and the other men swiftly took advantage of Architeuthis’ momentary disorientation to force the colossal squid away from the dome.

“Juno,” Orion said.

Orion secured the trident to the saddle and slid off of Sea Fire. He turned and saw his small son lying on his side. He swam over to kneel next to Juno. Fearing that he had accomplished what Magna and the squid had tried to do, he tenderly reached out to touch Juno’s small and fragile body. Orion’s hands trembled when he gently turned his son toward him. Juno’s lashes lay like crescents against his pale skin. Orion swallowed and brushed his hand along Juno’s cheek.

“Father?” Juno murmured.

A chuckle of relief escaped Orion and he watched as Juno’s lashes fluttered several times before the boy blinked up at him. He could see the confusion in his son’s gaze. Pulling Juno up into his arms, Orion buried his face against his son’s shoulder and rocked him for a moment before pulling back.

“Jenny…?” Orion asked, looking over toward the edge of the cliff.

Juno blinked up in confusion before his eyes cleared, and his lips parted. “She needs your help. The power went out in the escape pod. She crushed a squid with it,” he rapidly explained, trying to push away from his father.

“She did what…? How did you get out of the escape pod?” Orion asked.

“Jenny opened the hatch. She said to give you this,” Juno said, holding out his hand and opening his fingers to reveal the glowing stone in the middle of his palm.

“The eye… How… Where…?” Orion asked in shock, looking from the stone to Juno.

“Jenny had it. She said she found it on the beach before she followed Dolph,” Juno explained. “Please, you have to help mother. Her hands were so cold. Please….”

Orion reached out and took the magical stone from Juno. Rising to his feet, he turned to Sea Fire and held out his hand. With a silent command, the trident rose from the saddle and soared through the water to his hand. Gripping the trident in his left hand, he opened his right hand to reveal the Eye of the Sea Serpent.

The stone glowed brightly in the dim light, the call of the trident beckoning it to return to its rightful place. The gem shot through the water, returning to the eye socket of the sea serpent. Power filled Orion, and his senses opened until he felt like he could touch every corner of the oceans.

“Return to your home, Architeuthis! I command these waters,” Orion ordered, raising the trident above his head and swirling it around.

Funnels of water and energy flashed out of the forked weapon, hitting the squid and sending all of them far out into the ocean and away from the city. Orion ignored the triumphant shouts of his men. Instead, he focused his attention on where he last saw the escape pod with Jenny in it.

“Bring her to me,” he ordered the water.

Three orbs of light burst from the tips of the trident. They swept outward, racing for the cliff to disappear over the edge. In the background, Orion heard Kapian give a quiet order for the uninjured to attend to the wounded warriors and sea dragons and return to the city.

“Juno, perhaps you should go…,” Kapian started to say, but the little boy furiously shook his head.

“No, I will wait for mother. She might need me. Plus, I told her I would be very careful. This way she will know that I was,” Juno said, standing closer to his father.

Orion’s breath caught when he saw the first faint glow of light rising from the darkness. The orbs appeared first, followed by the escape pod, which was carried on a funnel of water. His gaze remained focused on the pod. He lowered the trident and pushed off the dome, swimming toward the pod where it settled on the sand to the west of the dome.

In the light of the orbs, he could see the glass was deeply etched from the squid’s suckers. A relieved smile curved his lips when he saw Jenny raise her hand. The relief turned into confusion when her other hand rose as well. The movement was fluid. It wasn’t until he drew closer that he could see her hair floating around her face like one of the ghostly images of an elemental.

“No!” Orion cried in horror.

The pod was filled with water! The realization of it hit him hard. The liquid that gave him and his people life had taken it from the beautiful woman he had claimed as his wife. His mind exploded in denial. Behind him, he could hear Kapian call out for Juno to stay back.

Sweeping the trident horizontally in front of him, the glass cracked and broke apart. Jenny’s body floated forward and out of the escape pod. Orion’s fingers loosened on the trident and he released it to pull Jenny into his arms. He gazed down into her pale, still face. Her lips were slightly parted, and her skin icy to his touch. He looked into her eyes and wanted to weep. There was no mischievous humor looking back at him—no fire, no desire. The brilliance of the colorful sea glass was gone—dimmed by the lack of fire that used to burn inside her.

His fingers tangled in her hair, and he pulled her against him. His body shook, and his mind felt like it was shattering. A sob caught in his throat and his body was wracked with violent shudders.

“No, she can’t die. The Goddess said Jenny is our mother. She can’t die,” Juno sobbed, fighting to break free from Kapian. “The water showed Dolph where to find her.”

“I’m so sorry,” Orion whispered, running his hand over Jenny’s hair.

“Orion…,” Kapian said.

Orion looked at Kapian with tortured eyes. His friend had Juno in his arms. His youngest son was sobbing uncontrollably. Turning his gaze back to Kapian, he opened his mouth to speak before closing it and shaking his head.

“I will take him back to the palace,” Kapian said.

Orion nodded and looked away. His heart wrenched when he heard Juno’s cry of despair. Closing his eyes, he held Jenny tightly, unable to let her go. Only when he knew that they were alone did he allow the tears to fall. Gut-wrenching sobs shook his tall frame.

Sunlight from above streamed down through the now clear water surrounding them. The fish, that fled when Architeuthis and the other squid appeared, were returning. Life was returning to the underwater kingdom. Orion cried out in denial and tilted his head back to stare up at the flickering light from above.

No man should have to sacrifice so much or feel such pain, he thought.

He wanted to curse the Goddess for giving Jenny to him only to take her away. This beautiful woman had captured his heart and his imagination from the first moment he saw her. Drawing in a deep breath, he buried his face against her neck and pressed a kiss to her cold skin.

“Forgive me, Jenny. Please… forgive me for I don’t think I will ever be able to forgive myself,” he begged.

Orion slowly lifted his head and opened his eyes when he felt the brush of warm water swirling around him. His eyes widened when he saw the trident floating behind Jenny. The Eyes of the Sea Serpent were glowing in a brilliant swirl of colors. The trident’s staff was shimmering with a radiant golden glow.

He gasped when bands of golden light reached out and wrapped around Jenny, pulling her from his arms. The protest on his lips died when a wave of warm, calming water swirled around him. Hope filled him when he saw the bands of light and a curtain of spiraling bubbles engulf Jenny’s body.

The light from the trident danced across Jenny’s skin, moving over her body like the ebbing tide against the soft sands. Her body glowed from within and the colors of the sea serpent’s eyes began to absorb into her skin. Iridescent scales ran up her arms and along her neck and cheeks. Her shoes disappeared, and he watched in awe as her body twitched and her back bowed. Her arms floated upward. and her fingers spread. Thin webbing appeared between each digit. The same thing happened to her feet.

Her body stiffened as she drew in a deep breath through the thin narrow slits on each side of her neck. A stream of thin bubbles escaped her mouth when her lips parted. Her eyes that had been devoid of life just minutes before gazed upward. He could see her lashes flutter before she blinked several times. She stared up at the surface and the streams of light filtering through before her head slowly lowered and she gazed back at him with wide, confused eyes.

“Orion…,” she whispered in uncertainty.

Orion slowly swam toward Jenny as the light and bubbles began to fade around her. He instinctively reached for her when she held her hands out in front of her and began to float upward. His hands slid along her arms as she studied the webbing between her fingers with a puzzled frown before she looked up at him again.

“Oh, Jenny. The Goddess has gifted me with my own beautiful mermaid,” Orion said in a tender voice.